I welcome Norman Morse, Triage Engineer at Perforce Software. We begin by discussing COVID-19’s impact, and his current role helping game developers. Hear thoughts on the importance of git and Perforce, how a previous job led to his current one, and the challenge of layoffs. Listen to his origin story around doing kernel development, building a team, and getting absorbed into EA. Learn his theory for success, going door-to-door for a job, teaching himself languages, and the importance of Linux and enthusiasm. We then talk about the importance of GDC and social skills, Toastmasters, studying NLP, along with learning technical skills. Hear about working in Unity back in 2008, supporting P4, and how GitHub is an engineer’s resume. Learn about favorite games he worked on, thoughts on the future, concerns about how studios fill roles, ageism, sharing a game engine, and crunching. We then wrap up talking about triple-A dev concerns, missing co-workers during COVID-19, commuting, a bad air conditioner, connecting with people, engineering tips, and how the industry is finally evolving.

I welcome Kate Edwards, game industry pioneer at Geogrify and Executive Director of the Global Game Jam. We start by discussing COVID-19 totally changing everything for her speaking and traveling work along with the Global Game Jam (recorded before the event). We then talk about her culturalization consulting and public speaking projects keeping her even busier now. Listen to her origin story about arcades, wanting to be an astronaut, Star Wars, going into Industrial Design, and grad school at the HITLab in Seattle. Hear how being a Cartographer started her career at Microsoft and translated into a new role as a Geopolitical Specialist. We then talk about consulting for Google, joining then leading the IGDA, Gamergate threats, 50 over 50 list, and mental health advocacy. We reflect on lessons learned over time, marketing yourself, imposter syndrome, networking, finding a mentor strategy, and future meetups. Listen to ideas for those working now, parallel career paths, autonomy, bad managers, and her love for Halo. Hear about working on Age of Empires, Bioware projects, the long road left with Diversity and Inclusion, and developer leverage against being exploited. We then explore games as human narrative, VR’s challenges, democratized dev tools, Tehran game dev, and the global game community. We then wrap up with a challenging situation back on Halo 2, games she’s playing now, how to find online, Mark Twain, not always comparing yourself to others, mentors, and having that creative drive to always get better.

I welcome Adam Boyes, game industry veteran and Co-CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios. We start by discussing COVID-19 and thoughts on staying mentally healthy along with his current position. Adam then shares his passion for games and journey for getting in through QA. Learn how Canada’s grown their game industry through tax incentives, plus Adam’s perspective and advice on building a career. We then discuss him leaving the industry for entrepreneurial pursuits, moving overseas, coming back to Vancouver for Next Level Games, then going to Midway Games. Learn about his inspiration from an EVE Online event to create the PlayStation Experience, plus working on Blitz: The League. Adam shares about working with linebacker Lawrence Taylor, what he’s excited about, and the value of games for kids. Learn how mobile games have grown the industry and his inspiration for the infamous Red Shirt Gang. Learn what he’s playing right now and tips to help your odds for getting in the industry. We then wrap up with recruiter horror stories, how to connect with Adam, and parting thoughts about how to treat others - be present and pleasant.

In this episode, I welcome Patrick Moran, game industry veteran and GM at Kongregate’s Tonic division. We start by discussing COVID-19’s impact and his current role at Kongregate and the background of the company. Learn how his team’s spread over numerous countries like Germany, Canada and India along with the US, plus the unique business model he’s leading around LiveOps and buying existing games. Patrick then shares what it was like in 2000 trying to break into the industry and the unorthodox cold calling method used for getting his first job. Hear about life crunching in QA on Deus Ex, making early mobile and DS games as a Designer, and the importance of patience. Learn what people to reach out to and how to get your first job, along with the importance of mentorship and solving problems. Hear the culture challenge he faced at Wideload Games as it was coming to terms with being owned by Disney, being laid off, and thoughts on the company. Learn the roots of Austin’s game development community and the differences between LA and Chicago. Hear thoughts on how Design is always changing and what to do for advancing your career and not becoming irrelevant. Patrick then shares about being resourceful, knowing your audience, working at Amazon, at BioWare on Mass Effect 2 and 3, and the importance of setting personal boundaries. Hear thoughts on the advantages of working from home, how it’s been accelerated by COVID-19, and forced some people to change. Hear his passions around LiveOps, metaverses and communities, how Garena solved a key issue around payments to scale into a massive company in Southeast Asia, plus new growth markets like Latin America and Africa. Learn his opinion about the industry’s lack of mentorship being the root cause of crunch, sexism, burnout, and other huge issues, along with the simple value of being grateful. Patrick then shares about meeting an executive coach and learning how they help people in leadership roles, along with concerns around VR and excitement around AR, especially GPS-enabled. Hear a hilarious story about promoting Avengers Initiative, New York Comic Con, Deadpool, Stan Lee, and drinking. Thoughts on one of his current favorite games, RimWorld, deep interest in A.I. for procedural storytelling, and amazement in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

On this episode, I welcome Joshua Tsui, game industry veteran and creator of the new documentary, Insert Coin. We start by discussing his current role in experiential design at Edge Experiential, then dive into his journey in developing Insert Coin, detailing his inspiration behind it, the research and interview process, and the many challenges he encountered along the way. Joshua describes working with Kenny Fedesna and others from Midway Games on the documentary, plus shares candid thoughts on whether or not he’s going to make a sequel of Insert Coin or even continue making films. Hear how much harder it is to make a game than a movie, SXSW, and Covid-19’s impact on film festivals. Learn how Midway Games changed in the 2000s and thoughts on the Oculus Quest, Nintendo Switch, Magic Leap, and the HoloLens platforms. Joshua then shares about how to connect with him and the movie through social media, and then I wrap up with a recommendation – go stream this movie.

On this episode we welcome Mehran Torgoley, Director & Writer at Cult Cinema, LLC. We start by discussing a few projects he’s currently working on and how he began at a small studio outside of Chicago. While sharing what he wishes he’d known when starting out in the industry, Mehran emphasizes the significance of commitment, pushing through hesitation, and passion. We reminisce on our days at Midway Games before diving into useful advice for people going into game development or film, as well as people looking to advance their careers. He touches on the importance of networking, having a great portfolio, being prepared, and keeping your skills current. Mehran speaks on the weirdness of auditions and why he doesn’t want to work on games he’d love to play, then shares how Unreal Engine’s being used in film and TV. He shares thoughts on the relevant threats to the game and film industries, such as game updates, COVID-19’s impact on theaters, thoughts on TV series, and the power shift in film. We conclude with some funny game and film industry stories, along with details on Mehran’s experience transitioning from an artist to a writer and filmmaker.

Jason VandenBerghe, VP Studio Creative Director at Level Ex starts by discussing COVID-19, his excitement about making games for doctors, and thoughts about the future of game design. He shares his story of breaking into the industry with The X-Files Game and his transition from programmer to producer to creative director at EA. Jason then offers specific advice for people in the industry and those looking to break in while telling about the fastest hire ever made at Ubisoft. He shares intriguing stories on his favorite games so far, including the development of For Honor at Ubisoft and working with Van Halen on Guitar Hero. He speaks about his excitement for this golden age of design experimentation right now, along with threats that include a backlash to diversity and inclusion, engaging with players, and the dangers of self-defeating beliefs amongst developers. Before telling a few more hilarious industry stories Jason shares candid thoughts on AR & VR, and his love for Beat Saber. We wrap things up talking about his two current favorite games that include his must-play “Game of the Year”, along with parting advice to game designers everywhere.

Clark Stacey, CEO of WildWorks starts by discussing the impacts of Coronavirus on his studio, how WildWorks came to be, and then rewind to discuss his journey into the game development industry. He gives powerful advice for people trying to get started along with those trying to advance their career, emphasizing the value of identifying and solving problems. Clark talks about some of his favorite games he’s worked on and what he’s curious about right now, including VR and his candid thoughts on Facebook’s gaming world. He shares his thoughts on MR and seeing the future in Taiwan arcades 5 years ago. Clark speaks on potential threats in the gaming industry, like regulations and rapacious business models, as well as what he’s most excited about, especially the opportunity to create high-quality games for kids under 13 and the potential for use as educational tools. We reminisce on some of the outrageous industry parties, like Alex St. John’s surreal DirectX launch event. Then, Clark mentions some games he’s playing right now and shares the story of the (pretty hilarious) crisis WildWorks encountered after launching Animal Jam.

This episode welcomes Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla. We start by discussing Chris’s take on the effects of coronavirus, his new role at Xsolla, and how he got started in the game industry, offering insight into what he wishes he had known at the beginning. He then shares valuable advice for people entering the industry and for people trying to advance their careers in Design or Production – hint: bootstrapping your way in and learning emotional intelligence can help. Chris divulges a few of his favorite games he’s worked on and what he’s excited about, including the evolution of cross-platform play and games becoming their own social platforms. We discuss some potential threats to the game industry and share candid thoughts on AR/VR/MR technology. Some funny stories are shared, a few including odd pets, and Chris talks about his current game of choice keeping him up. The episode wraps up with an overview of Xsolla’s platform, along with some more powerful advice for people currently working in the game industry.

We welcome guest Bill Roper, Chief Creative Officer at AuthorDigital and Adept Games. We start by discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on work and personal life and rising to the challenge of digitalizing our lives in completely unusual circumstances. Bill emphasizes the importance of taking time for yourself, focusing on mental health and being “family first”. Bill then talks about bringing his vision of empowering storytellers and giving them the ability to bring their craft into new digital spaces into a reality. He shares about his new role as co-founder of AuthorDigital and his work with Blizzard. He reflects on what he wishes he had known when he started his journey in the game developing industry, as well as advice for people who are in it right now. Bill happily divulges some of his favorite games to work on, aspects of the industry that he’s currently curious about, and even threats he sees. He then shares thoughts on AR and VR, games he’s excited about, and tells a few hilarious stories that he’s collected over the years.

Justin Mohlman has many skills and projects. With over 17 years in the industry, he’s a seasoned game developer currently working as a Game Development Producer at Epic Games. Hear about his many positions ranging from art instructor, co-owner of a tattoo shop, to managing the social media of Metallica’s bassist. Learn how he got his start in the industry, his projects at Epic Games, some advice for current 3D artists, and his favorite projects, like Tony Hawk and Mortal Kombat. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Johner Riehl, Vice President and PR Lebowski at Wonacott Communications joins me on this episode. Johner has been in the industry for over 23 years and shares about the Public Relations side of the videogames. Hear about his PR experience doing launches for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Pokemon, Pikmin, working with Nintendo, Microsoft, and Midway, plus writing books and running a website. Learn how he got started in the industry, working at Wonacott, advice on getting PR for a game, working with influencers and streamers, and thoughts on future opportunities. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Game industry veteran Richard Lico joins me on this episode to discuss his career. Hear how he got started in the industry going from SCAD’s 3D Computer Art program to now being the Studio Animation Director at Polyarc 20 years later. Richard talks about working on Triple-A games like Halo, Destiny, and more recently, the indie VR hit, Moss. Learn about working at Bungie, advice to fellow animators and artists, his excitement around VR, a few wild stories, and his online animation school. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Richard Khoo, Co-Founder and Game Director of indie studio Khookey joins me on this episode. He shares how he went from a Modder to Designer to Co-Founder working at places like Blizzard, Riot Games, Wargaming, and Pocket Gems. We talk about being recruited by Blizzard in 2004, advice for getting into the industry, furthering your career after you’re in, favorite projects, a few funny stories, growing remote teams, COVID-19 and mental health, along with his upcoming game, Magehunter. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Andreja Djokovic, the Founder & CEO of Babaroga, joins us today beginning with a discussion of recent world events and the impacts it is having on the gaming industry. Andreja speaks on pursuing mixed reality for he believes it will be a meaningful medium that will eventually get its big break. The episode continues with Andreja’s decades of experience and some valuable insights and advice on how to get into the industry. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Narrative Designer Edwin McRae talks about working with indie and mid-level developers, transitioning from a soap opera writer to successful narrative designer, writing books, thoughts on interactive fiction, concerns about toxic gamer culture and AR, love for VR, how quality TV influences his writing, importance of online beta testing, and discussion about the genre-bending work Level Ex does, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Bestselling author Blake J. Harris shares stories on writing his breakout book, Console Wars and the upcoming documentary and TV series, troubling research while writing The History of the Future, concerns around Facebook, thoughts on Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and getting ready for the movie debut at SXSW, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Lead Game Designer David Turkiewicz shares how he got in the industry, learned a lot in QA, lacked confidence early in his career, sees challenges and opportunities for the field, and the advice he wants to share with other game developers, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Game Director Chip Sineni talks about getting into the industry, the state of self publishing, triple-A vs. indie dev environments, the pros and cons of Unity3D and Unreal Engine, lessons learned at Midway, challenges for big publishers, games with disappointing sales, AR projects he created that went viral, how genres are cyclical, games he’s interested in now, and the slow pace of industry gender diversity, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Reyan Ali is a writer who’s just released the NBA Jam book, talks about growing up playing video games, living in Pakistan, love for the arcade game The Grid, difficulties being a freelance writer, spending 4 years on the project, the interviewing process, digging into the end of Midway Games, and his love for arcades, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.)

Chris Nicolella is a video game and toy industry veteran living in Bangkok who shares stories about getting into the game industry, surviving crunch, working in video game magazine publishing, sharing career advice, working on NBA Street Vol. 2, helping launch some of the biggest toys in history, reading Star Wars scripts, regretting a decision about Iron Man, and sharing firsthand perspective on the Hong Kong crisis, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for show links and details.)

Doc Mack who owns the biggest arcade in the world talks about how he got started in the industry, his plans beyond 731 games, thoughts on the state of the arcade industry, the social and human value of arcades, why he’s shining a spotlight on developers, how he’s creating his own arcade fighting game, and ways to get in touch with him, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for all the details.)

+15-year industry veteran John (JJ) Williams of NetherRealm Studios and I discuss how he went from a headhunter to a designer, the steps he took along the way including QA, creating his own indie game, persevering through numerous studio closures, working on games like Mortal Kombat, the value of GDC, scapegoating games by politicians for gun violence, being inside the ESRB, games he’s playing now, sharing advice for new designers, and how to get in touch with him, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for all the details.)

Nick Laing talks about his new role as Senior Publishing Producer at Amazon Games and working before at Turn 10 Studios on the Forza series. Hear how his path diverted from following in his family’s footsteps to going to a specialized comic book...

Dwayne Mason of NXA Studios talks about his current role in the company and his career and entrepreneurial aspirations going back to his teens. Hear about the computer revolution while studying to be a graphic designer. How PC Paint and...